Saute Pan vs Sauce Pan

Among those many cookwares being widely marketed today. In this article we will talk about two of very popular cooking wares, which are Saute pan and sauce pan. Many of us are likely to have both of them in our kitchen. Some of us might also own them in various sizes. Since they are different type of cookware and are made to do different things, they are not interchangeably. We can distinguish them easily only by looking at them; their shape are differs practically to accommodate their purpose. Saute pan resembles frying pan by shape and sizes, while sauce pan resembles saucier the most. It is almost impossible to mistakes them over the other. But just for your information, we will try to give a brief explanation regarding Saute pan and sauce pan.

Saute Pan
Saute pan is one type of cookware, which has a wide and flat bottom with short sides. This type of cooking pan is specially made for sauteing, a method of cooking using a high heat in shorter period. Saute word came from French where it means “jumped, bounced” referring the way the food was cooked. When sauteing, the food is stirred by tossing the Saute pan back and forth instead of using spatula or such. However it does not mean that using spatula is forbidden, it is just the reference from its name. The food ingredients used in sauteing is commonly chopped into thin pieces; this will allow the food to be cooked faster. The final result of cooking food using this method is the food will retain its texture, moisture and flavor, while the skin is browned. The surface of Saute pan is designed wide enough to allow all the ingredients to be cooked evenly.

When sauteing it is recommended not to use oils, which have a low smoke points, such as unrefined flaxseed oil and unrefined peanut oil. The most common oils used in sauteing is clarified butter, rapeseed oils, and sunflower oils. There are many other oils, which can be used in sauteing as long as it has a high smoke point to allow cooking on medium to high heat. The amount of oils is also need to be measured. The oil only needs to lightly cover the surface of the pan, if too much oils is poured it will make the food is fried rather than easily slide inside the saute pan. When sauteing, the food is spread across the hot surface and left browned, the pan is frequently tossed to allow even cooking. The low sides of Saute pan is designed to allow quick evaporation and escape of steam.

When choosing Saute pan there are several things you need to consider:
1. the bottom of the pan, it needs to be flat, wide, and heavy. These features will ease you when sauteing using the pan.
2. the materials, it usually made from several materials, such as copper, stainless steel, anodized aluminum, cast iron ,and enamel. Each one of them have their pros and cons. choose which one you prefer better.
3. The size, it has to be big enough to hold everything you cook. If its too big, the liquid will evaporates too quick but if it is too small, the food will be too crowded and can’t be cooked evenly.

Sauce Pan
Sauce pan is a type of cookware, which has a deep depth featured with a long handle and commonly comes with a lid. Sauce pan is usually used to heat food and making sauces. Sauce pan is like many other cookwares, it can be made from various materials such as, aluminum, copper, anodized aluminum, glass, enameled steel and stainless steel. Some of sauce pan also used non-stick coating such as Teflon. Sauce pan have round shape and high straight sides accompanied with long handle. Sauce pan commonly comes in different sizes start from 1 pint to 4 quarts. Just like many other pans, it is good to have heavier bottom sauce pan. Since it will enables the heat distribution so the heat will spread evenly and makes sticking and burning less likely.

Saute Pan

Sauce Pan

- The shape resemble frying pan with a wide bottom

- The shape resemble saucier with narrow bottom depending on its size

- Have short or lower sides

- Have higher straight sides

- Commonly have no lid

- Comes with a lid

- Made to do sauteing

- Made to make sauce or boiling food

Conclusion
Saute pans and sauce pan is two different things made to do different jobs. Both of them is not interchangeably. Saute pan is used to cooking and sauteing food while sauce pan is commonly used to boil food and making sauces. You may be able to make sauces in a saute pan, since it is wide enough to contain the liquid, but because of the wide bottom the liquid will reduce much quickly compare when using sauce pan. At the other hand, it is not recommended to do sauteing using sauce pan since the bottom is too narrow, the food will not cooked evenly and it will be hard to stir many food ingredients inside such small pan. It is wise to get each one of them to ease your work in the kitchen.